


Everything Has Changed

by kira_khaleesi



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, College Student Rey (Star Wars), F/M, Fluff, Librarian Ben Solo, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23517154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kira_khaleesi/pseuds/kira_khaleesi
Summary: ‘Cause all I know is we said ‘hello’,And your eyes looked like coming home.All I know is a simple name, and everything has changed.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38
Collections: Kira's Songfics, Red





	Everything Has Changed

**Author's Note:**

> just fluff.

**Part I**  
It’s raining the first time she notices him. Given that she comes to the public library nearly everyday, it seems reasonable that Rey has seen the librarian before, but she’d never really _seen_ him, you know?

But on that day, when it rained and she tried her best to stay dry under an umbrella that has far passed it’s lifespan and been repaired too many times, she held the door open for a soaking wet librarian, and she noticed him for the first time. Rey was in the process of getting the umbrella to shut - against its will, mind you - when a tall, dark-haired, beautiful stranger suddenly appeared near the door. 

He was grumpy, as you might be if you had found yourself in his position; absolutely drenched by a sudden rainstorm on your walk to work. Rey dropped her umbrella and pulled the door open, to which the man had responded with a gruff ‘thanks’. Their eyes had met briefly then, and a spark had coursed through Rey’s body. 

And so now, here she sits at her usual table using the same computer she uses everyday. The library has free wifi and the computers work. 

Plutt has never really been one to abide by renting guidelines, and try as she might Rey’s patchwork computer is still a work in progress. Rey is here to do school work, but her eyes keep straying to a certain tall librarian that occasionally walks out from the office.

Rey doesn’t get any studying done that entire day.

**Part II**  
From the types of books she checks out, Ben figures she must be a student of some sort. Her hours are irregular - she must have a part time job - but she is at the public library everyday. He has had to politely wake her up at closing more than once. 

Her name is Rey. Ben knows that because he took her ID when she first started coming to the library. 

Ben spends more time than he should thinking about her, the chestnut-haired student who is somehow devastatingly beautiful but unquestionably sad that frequents his library. Leaning back in his chair, Ben looks around his office. 

It’s smaller than the one he had in Coruscant. And the money isn’t as good. But, somehow, being the librarian at Takodana’s public library is the best job he has had his entire life. 

Ben is happy, happier than he has been in a long time. 

He is lonely, but happy.

Today, though, today he is unhappy. He slept through his alarm which meant he left the house in a rush. His late start also meant that his favourite cafe was out of all their muffins by the time he stopped by on his walk to work. 

On top of all of that, the heavens had opened up and decided to dump every last drop of water on Takodana when he was still ten minutes from the library. 

So, Ben arrives at work soaking wet and without breakfast. As he climbs the library steps, he sees that somebody is blocking the door. Ben is on the verge of using some very choice words to demand that this person get out of the way, when he sees that it is the young woman, Rey. 

Rey is struggling to close her umbrella, and Ben stands there watching for much longer than he should. When she notices somebody else in her vicinity, he immediately looks away lest he seem like a creep. 

Her umbrella drops to the ground, and she opens the door for him.

Ben mumbles a thanks, their eyes meeting briefly before he rushes inside. 

Ben doesn’t get any work done that day. 

**Part III**  
The three months since graduation have been a whirlwind for Rey. 

First, she graduated from a 3 year program in 2 years, thanks to taking a heavy course-load and not taking any summers off. 

Second, she landed a new job one town over. Her new boss acted tough but really he was a big teddy-bear. He also paid her the right amount and on time. Which resulted in third, her finally moving out of Plutt’s shithole. 

Her new apartment has wifi, and just last week she had enough saved to buy the rest of the parts needed to assemble her computer. Rey has also been buying books for the first time in her life, slowly but surely populated her second-hand bookshelf. 

Needless to say, things have been going pretty well.

She hasn’t been to the library since she graduated. 

****

Ben hasn’t seen her in almost three months. It seems likely that she finished school, and has moved away or no longer requires the library’s services. That happens, and he knows that is the normal course of working anywhere that provides a service. Sometimes people don’t need your services anymore; it’s not personal. 

For some reason, he can’t help but feel cheated. Like he didn’t have enough time to work up the courage to talk to her - but who is he kidding, she’d been a regular at the library for nearly two years before that day in the rain.

Call him crazy, but something changed after that day. 

Ben swore sometimes he’d look up from his place behind the front desk and see her duck her head, as if she had been watching him.

Later, he is reshelving some items when a throat clears softly behind him. Ben turns around to see her, Rey, standing in front of him. He blinks a couple times, confused by this turn of events. He even steps to the side, so she can get by him but she doesn’t move. 

She takes a step towards him, and holds out her hand.

“Hi. I’m Rey.”

Unable to resist putting his foot in his mouth, he replies, “I know.”

She smiles, and Ben’s entire world lights up.


End file.
